So Others May Live
by Mahone-chic-89
Summary: DEADLIEST CATCH: The crab fishermen of Alaska have a very dangerous job…but so do the ones who have sworn to protect them: the U.S. Coast Guard. See inside for full summary.
1. Alaskan Trawler

FULL SUMMARY:

Crab fisherman put their lives at risk each time they head out to sea…but so do the those who have sworn to protect them: The United States Coastguard

Andria Davis always dreamed of having an exciting life. Growing up in North Carolina, she was known as "one of the guys." Dirt biking, four-wheeling, and partying were all a part of her life. But Andria longed for more. She longed for something a bit more meaningful…but little did she know the impact she would have on one fishing captain's life…

**I will not be updating this story nearly as often as I do the other stories. This one, for now, is more of a "I have a lot of free time right now" type things. Once Greenhorns and Rivals, and Elbow Room are done I'll be able to dedicate more time to this one. This story is somewhat in response to one of the reviewers who asked me if I would do a story about a certain captain. I don't want to give too much away so you'll just have to wait to see who that captain is!! I hope you all like it!! And thanks so much to those who have stuck with all my Deadliest Catch stories!! I love you guys!!**

Chapter 1: _Alaskan Trawler_

"We're receiving a distress signal from the fishing vessel, Alaskan Trawler," said a voice over the radio.

Andria felt her muscles tense with expectation. She looked out the window of the massive helicopter. Large rolling waves filled her vision. It was nearly nighttime on the Bering Sea and a storm was blowing hard. She steadied herself for what she knew would be a dangerous mission.

"Kodiak, this is chopper 3178. Fishing vessel Alaskan Trawler is within our sites," announced the pilot, "We're heading in for a closer look, please stand by."

"Roger that 3178, standing by."

Andria leaned forward as they neared the rather large crab fishing boat. She glanced back at her friend, Andrew Gilmer. Andrew was the paramedic of the crew. The two had become close friends when they were training with the Coastguard. They were both thrilled to learn that they had been assigned onto the same search and rescue team.

Andrew nodded encouragingly at Andria. He knew she must be feeling nervous. She had only been a Coastguard Rescue Swimmer for a couple weeks. Although she had been in the water and done a few rescues before, this one appeared to be rather dangerous.

As the helicopter lowered its altitude to get a closer look at the boat, Andria gazed out the window.

"Permission to open the door, captain?" she asked the pilot.

"Roger!"

Andria swung open the door. The wind whipped her hair around wildly. She tied it back into a tighter bun as she watched the Alaskan Trawler rock violently in the rising waves.

"How many on board?" she asked.

"According to the mayday the captain sent out, there's five.," replied the co-pilot.

Andria nodded as she began to suit up for the jump. She watched the boat carefully as she slipped on her fins. There were three men on the bow, clinging onto the railing. They were shouting and trying to urge the Coastguard to hurry. The desperation in their eyes cut Andria to the heart. She quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts. Now was not the time to let her emotions take over.

"Ready?" asked the captain.

"Roger!" shouted Andria as she swung her legs out the side of the helicopter.

The captain brought the chopper closer to the surging water and gave her the signal to jump. Andria took a deep breath, heart racing wildly, and leapt out of the helicopter.

She hit the water hard and instantly began to claw her way back to the surface. The freezing cold temperatures never ceased to overwhelm her. No matter how many times she dove into the Bering Sea, she knew she would never get used to the shock of the bitterly cold water.

Once she broke the surface, she turned back to face the chopper. She held her hand up at them and gave a slight wave.

"Swimmer's in the water….swimmer's okay!" announced Andrew.

The helicopter began to climb higher into the sky to avoid getting salt stuck in their engine and to decrease the waves the blades were creating so that Andria would be able to swim a little easier.

Andria felt the familiar feeling of panic and loneliness as the helicopter rose in the sky above her. She knew they had to, but the thought of being alone in the Bering Sea was terrifying. She mentally reminded herself to keep her emotions in check as she began to swim toward the sinking vessel.

"Help! Over here!" shouted one of the men on the bow.

"Someone get to the stern and help her on!" shouted another man. Andria took him to be the captain of the vessel.

The last man climbed back over to the starboard side of the stern and held out a hand as she neared the boat. Andria waited for a moment. She had to get the timing just right. The second the boat listed to starboard she reached out and grabbed onto the man's hand. As the boat began to list to port, she used its momentum to help pull her onto it.

"I'm a Coastguard rescue swimmer!" she shouted over the blasting wind and roaring waves, "I'm here to help you! How many are on board?"

"There were five of us!" replied the man as the other two men began to climb over to them from the bow, "But two of them were swept away a while ago!"

Andria nodded solemnly.

"Is anybody hurt?"

The men shook their heads. They gazed at her with a mixture of fear and desperation. She was their last hope.

"Rescue swimmer are you ready?" said a voice over the radio in her water-proof headset.

"Yes sir! Send a basket down asap!" shouted Andria as she glanced over the men.

"Roger."

The boat suddenly jerked violently and listed sharply to starboard. The men grabbed onto the port-side rail and hung on, screaming with terror. Andria grabbed onto the rail and looked up into the dark night sky. Suddenly, a bright spotlight lit up her vision and she saw the outline of the helicopter. She smiled with relief as she saw the basket being lowered down to her.

As the basket reached the rolling deck, Andria grabbed the nearest man and shoved him roughly towards it. The man cried out in surprise, but climbed in quickly when he realized that the reason for the swimmer's roughness was because she knew the boat would not hold out much longer.

Andria motioned for them to haul the basket and watched as it slowly made its way up to the helicopter. She whirled around and faced the other two men, trying to judge who would go next. This was the most difficult part of her job. She had to chose who would go and who would stay. She suddenly understood how God must feel. Having to chose who lives and who dies was something no human should have to determine.

"He goes next!" shouted the older man, "I'm the captain of this boat. I go last!"

Andria nodded, relieved that someone else had made that dreadful decision this time around. As the basket hit the deck again, she shoved the other man into it and motioned for the chopper to take it up and to take it up quickly.

Her instincts were telling her that this vessel was about to capsize and if the captain was to live that basket needed to be back on the deck immediately.

After several tense moments, Andria breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the basket was on its way back down to the deck.

But suddenly, the boat listed sharply again. The captain and Andria grabbed the railing again and hung on for dear life. But Andria knew that this time the boat would not right itself. She looked at the captain and saw that he knew it too.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, throat threatening to close up as she felt the boat begin to turn over.

"The boat's going over!" shouted Andrew in a panic, "Get that basket down now!"

The man operating the basket shot Andrew a furious and terrified look.

"What the hell do you think I'm trying to do?" he shouted.

Andrew watched helplessly as the Alaskan Trawler slowly began to capsize. Then, suddenly, it's slow demise ended abruptly. A rogue wave smacked into the boat, forcing it to flip over quickly. Andria and the captain were no where to be seen.

Andrew felt his breath catch in his throat as he watched the boat sink.

"Where is she?" he shouted in fear, angry at his own helplessness, "Dear God where is she?"

Andria knew she had to swim away from the quickly sinking vessel. If she did not get away fast enough, the boat would drag her under with it.

As soon as she broke the surface, she began to gasp for air. She twisted around to see how far away she was from the sinking boat. She felt a wave of relief when she realized that the boat was several yards away from her now. She began to tread water and looked around for the captain.

The rolling black waves crashed over her and around her, making it difficult to see much of anything else. Suddenly she felt something bump her from behind. She whirled around and saw the metal basket. She felt weak with relief as she climbed in awkwardly and hung on as the waves pounded the basket, threatening to throw her off.

Once the basket was half-way up to the helicopter, and clear of the waves, Andria began to search for the 

captain again. By the time she was pulled into the cabin of the helicopter, she forced herself to come to the grim conclusion that the captain had not made it.

She climbed numbly out of the basket with Andrew's help and slumped down against the side of the helicopter.

"Swimmer's inside, heading to base," said the co-pilot.

"Roger that chopper 3178," replied the base in Kodiak.

Andria felt numb all over, physically and mentally. She had been so close to saving all three of those men. She felt a wave of guilt hit her as she began to wonder if she had moved a few seconds faster, would the captain still be alive?

The two survivors were being tended to by Andrew. The glanced solemnly at Andria, giving her grateful nods. They were happy to be alive, but deeply saddened by the loss of the two deckhands that had been swept overboard earlier and their beloved captain.

Andria glanced away sharply as she felt the lump in her throat tighten. She breathed heavily and closed her eyes. It was going to be a long night…

PLEASE REVIEW!!


	2. Past, Present, and Future

**Thanks for reviewing!! I'm so glad everyone seems to like this story!! I can't wait for my others to finish up so I can spend more time on this one.**

**Just FYI what I'm going to post about a certain captain's past is totally not true…and I sure hope it never is true. It's just for the story's sake. **

**Oh, and I'm going to do a slight tie-in with my Elbow Room story. Its okay if you haven't read it yet, you won't be too confused, but if you are reading it you may find it slightly amusing!**

**Hope you all like it!**

Chapter 2: Past, Present, and Future

The man sat down behind the bar with a sigh and unfolded his newspaper. It had been a long king crab season and in less than two weeks he and his crew were going to have to head back out for opilio season. The bitter cold of January on the Bering Sea was the worst time and place to be in the world, but it was his livelihood, his heritage. It was what he was born to do, and his father, his father's father, and so on.

The young woman behind the bar smiled when she turned around and saw the tired man with the newspaper in front of his face. He was a usual at the Elbow Room and she had grown as fond of him as she did all of her other customers.

"Good morning, Sig," she said as she poured some hot coffee into his mug.

Sig glanced up briefly from his paper and nodded in the woman's direction.

"Hey Danni," he muttered.

Danni narrowed her eyes playfully and leaned toward him. She folded down the top of the newspaper to force him to pay attention to her.

"And what's bothering my dear old Sig today?" she asked with a smile.

Sig muttered crossly but could not help but smile back a little. The girl had guts that was for sure. Not many people would get in Sig Hansen's face.

"Nothing…just having a bad day. And I'm not old."

Danni laughed and turned to get herself a cup of coffee.

"You keep telling yourself that!"

Sig smirked and shook his head. Just then, the front door opened and the bell above the door chimed loudly.

Blake Painter sauntered in with a goofy look on his face and one hand behind his back.

Sig sneered as he saw Danni's face light up at the sight of her boyfriend. Those two were inseparable and madly in love.

As Blake approached Danni, he pulled out the bouquet of flowers from behind his back. Danni squealed happily and threw her arms around his neck. Blake laughed as he hugged her, eyes bright with joy at seeing her again.

Sig felt a sudden pang of jealousy at the sight of the two young lovers. He swallowed back the familiar emotion that threatened to close his throat with its intensity as the memories washed over him…

_Sig and the Northwestern crew returned from a rather successful king crab season two years ago. The crew was overjoyed to learn that they had beaten the past records and were about to come home to their loved ones with more money than usual._

_Sig walked over to the Elbow Room to have his usual celebration drink. The crew had already gone into the Elbow Room an hour earlier, but Sig stayed behind to take care of a few last things with the boat. As he walked inside, he expected to see a bunch of happy, partying crabbers enjoying a few well-earned rounds. Instead what he saw was a shell-shocked and extremely saddened crew._

_Instantly alarmed, Sig asked them what was going on. Edgar stood up from behind the bar and walked over to him. He hugged him tightly, tears forming in his sorrowful eyes._

_Danni emerged from behind the counter, tears flowing freely down her face. She had just bought the Elbow Room a few months earlier and had become a favorite of the crab fishermen. Her bar was definitely the hot-spot for the crabbers whenever they came home from a long, dangerous trip. Danni was always smiling and seemed to be somewhat carefree whenever she was around the fishermen, but today she was very upset._

_Sig became alarmed and gave her a questioning look._

"_What's going on, Danni?" he asked as Edgar moved away._

_Danni shook her head as she swallowed, trying to choke out the words. Whatever it was, it was evidently very difficult for her to say._

"_Sig…I'm so sorry."_

"_For what?" asked Sig, confused by the entire situation, "What the hell happened?"_

"_Your…your wife," stammered Danni, "She…she got hit by a drunk driver two days ago. She's dead, Sig. I'm so sorry."_

_Danni began to cry again and walked quickly back behind the bar. _

_Sig froze. He felt every muscle in his body tense with fear and disbelief. He began to walk backwards until he was leaning up against the wall._

"_No…no this isn't happening. She's not dead…she can't be. She said she'd meet me here when I got back. She can't be…"_

_Sig began to slide down the wall until he was crouching on the floor. He ran his hand through his hair and just shook his head back and forth in shocked denial. Edgar and Norman were at his side instantly. _

_He could still remember the look of deep sadness and concern reflected in their eyes. He knew his brothers loved him but in the days to come he became even more aware of their devotion to their older brother. They stayed by his side and never left him alone even for a minute. _

"Hey is that about that boat that went down the other day?"

The sound of Blake's voice jerked Sig back from his reverie. Apparently the younger captain had finished talking to his girlfriend and was now sitting down at the bar beside of him.

"What?"

"That article," replied Blake as he sipped his coffee, "It's about the Alaskan Trawler right? Five guys went down, two survivors. They were in that bad storm near Bristol Bay."

Sig nodded numbly, his mind still trying to find its way back to the present and out of the past.

"Uh, yeah…yeah that's what it's about."

Blake grunted as he took another swig out of his mug.

"You know the rescue swimmer was girl," commented Danni as she refilled Blake's mug, "Just goes to show you some of us women are tougher than you think."

Blake's eyes glistened as he looked up at Danni. He nodded in agreement.

"And some of us are already very well aware of that."

Danni smirked as Blake leaned over and pecked her on the cheek.

Sig forced down the wave of emotions that threatened to engulf him again. He was truly very happy for the young couple. He and Blake had been through a lot together and he had grown to care for the boy as if he were his own son. But part of him was so jealous when he saw how happy they were together. He felt a thrill of anger course through him. It was not fair. Why did she have to be taken away from him? Why couldn't he be happy too?

DCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDC

Meanwhile…

Andria Davis drove down the long, winding road that led to Dutch Harbor.

The Coast Guard had assigned her crew to a new station that had just been built not too far from the docks. After several years of being in Kodiak, the Coast Guard finally realized that it would be best to at least have one rescue crew in very close range to the crab fishermen. They would be the primary responders to an emergency, followed by the Coast Guard Cutter and the team at Kodiak.

Andria had agreed to the plans but was unaware that she and her crew would be the ones to make the move. She did not want to leave Kodiak. In her mind that was the closest thing to civilization she could get in Alaska. She thought of Dutch Harbor as a place where crusty old fishermen gathered and got drunk. It was not appealing to her in the least.

She braked slowly when she saw a sign for a local bar. It was right near the docks and seemed to have a homey feel about it. It had been a long drive and Andria was more than happy to take a short break and have a drink or two.

She pulled into the small parking lot and walked inside the bar.

Blake glanced up from his coffee when he heard the door open. He watched as the pretty blonde, brown-eyed girl glanced around nervously. He noticed that she was wearing a Coast Guard cap with her long ponytail pulled through the back.

Blake smiled and nudged Sig. Sig gave him a slightly irritated look but Blake did not pay him any mind. He nodded in the girl's direction and Sig turned to see what he was looking at.

His mouth nearly fell open when he saw her. She was beautiful, and not the fake-blonde pretty. She was naturally very good looking.

"Dude," hissed Blake into Sig's ear, "I bet that's her! The rescue swimmer girl!"

Sig quickly regained his composure as the girl walked over to them. Blake noticed Sig's reaction to her and 

he smiled knowingly.

"Have at it my man," he whispered, "She's all yours."

Sig was about to protest but was interrupted when the girl sat down next to him at the bar.

"Hi," she said with a bright smile, "I'm Andria. I'm with the new Coast Guard team stationed a few yards down the road."

Sig swallowed nervously and held out a hand.

"I'm Sig Hansen, captain of the Northwestern," he said, attempting to sound cool and collected, "It's good to know we're safe in such good hands."

Blake nearly swallowed his coffee the wrong way. He sputtered and choked, trying to hide his amused laughter.

Sig could not believe he had just said that out loud. He could have kicked himself right then and there. But Andria only smiled and laughed lightly.

"And it's good to know there are such handsome fishermen to watch over."

Blake froze in shock. His eyes widened with surprise as he glanced over at Sig. He had not expected for her to react quite like that. In fact Blake expected a very different reaction.

Sig was also rather dumbfounded by her reply. He smiled sheepishly.

Danni was at the register trying to keep it together. It was just too cute of a scene to interrupt. Sig was acting like a high school boy who was asking out a girl for the first time. But at the same time she was thrilled that he seemed to be taken by another girl. He had not been himself since his wife past away.

Andria winked at Sig, causing him to blush further, and began to order a drink from Danni.

"Well," thought Andria, "Maybe this isn't such a bad move after all…"

PLEASE REVIEW!!

Whew! I was on a writing spree!! I hope you all like it…I was a little nervous about the Sig's wife thing…


	3. New Beginnings

**WOW!! Ten reviews for only two chapters?! Thanks so much everyone!! I'm glad you all seem to like it so far! It means a lot!**

The next morning Andria walked out of her small one-bedroom apartment and headed over to the new Coast Guard base.

When she arrived, Andria was shocked to see how small it really was. The base itself was just an old warehouse that had been refurbished and was just large enough to store their Jayhawk rescue helicopter. There was some space on the second floor for offices but even that space was limited.

Andria sighed and shook her head with disappointment. This definitely was not like the Kodiak base. Back in Kodiak, the base was way over twice the size of this one and there were several other Coast Guard men and women stationed there as well. But here in Dutch, it was just her and her crew. But she knew they were here for a reason. Her crew had broken several records in speed, timing, and accuracy. They were all good friends and worked well together and for all of those reasons, the Coast Guard chose to move them out here to be on-call for the fishermen of the Bering Sea.

Andria was jerked from her thoughts when she heard someone shouting from the second floor. She looked up and saw Andrew hanging over the stair rail and waving wildly at her. Andria smiled and shook her head as she walked over towards him. Andrew ran down the stairs and gave her a hug.

"How're you doing?" he asked as he pulled away, a very concerned look in his eyes.

Andria's eyes clouded for a moment but she quickly regained control and looked up confidently at him. She had to move on. She had lost the captain of the Alaskan Trawler, but managed to save the two remaining deckhands. It was a part of her job but Andria hated it all the same. For each person she lost, part of her died with them. Once she saw the survivor, it became personal…he became her survivor and she became his only hope.

"I'm fine," she said quickly, too quickly.

Andrew frowned at her.

"You're lying. Come on, remember what they taught us at the Academy?"

Andria rolled her eyes with fake annoyance. Andrew loved to bring up the Academy and she knew why. They had spent a few romantic weeks together during that time but soon learned that they were better off as friends and Andrew enjoyed reminding her about it.

"Come on, Andria," insisted Andrew, his hands still resting on her arms, "Why do we do what we do?"

"So others may live," recited Andria shooting him a slightly irritated look.

"And what else?"

"We can't save them all…I know Andrew, I was there too remember?"

Andrew smirked and gave her another hug, "That's my girl. Now, let's go get your office set up!"

Andria watched him make his way back up the stairs. She sighed and wondered briefly if Andrew was trying to hit on her again or if he was just trying to be a good friend. Then, she remembered the captain she met at the Elbow Room. She smiled to herself as she remembered the look on his face when she first walked in. He openly gaped at her and she remembered wondering why. Most of the time she wore her Coast Guard uniform which hid any and all signs of curves or womanly figure. She had glanced down at what she was wearing and remembered that she had dressed down for the drive up to the new base. She was wearing a red baby-doll style t-shirt and black, nicely fitting jeans. She had worn her hair down too, 

something she was not usually allowed to do when she was on base.

Andria smirked as she followed Andrew up the stairs. She wondered briefly if she would see that handsome captain again…and found herself hoping that she would.

Back at the Elbow Room…

After Andria had left, Blake and Danni began to pick on Sig.

"She was pretty wasn't she?" asked Danni with a smirk.

Sig scowled back at her and asked for another refill on his coffee.

"Dude, she totally hit on you too!" exclaimed Blake as he punched Sig in the arm.

Sig winced slightly and narrowed his eyes at the younger captain.

"What are you talking about?" he muttered, "She was just being nice."

Blake's eyes widened in surprise, "Are you kidding me? She said you were handsome! She was totally hitting on you, trust me!"

Sig muttered something under his breath, but he could not hide the smile that played across his face or the slight glimmer in his eye. There definitely was something about that woman…

Blake obviously noticed Sig's expression. He smiled broadly and punched him in the arm again.

"Ha! I knew it! You like her too! Man this is perfect!"

Sig winced again and shot him an irritated look.

"Would you cut that out?"

"I'm going to hook you up!" insisted Blake, ignoring Sig's last comment, "You two will be on a date by the end of the week, promise!"

Sig shot him an alarmed look.

"Look, Blake…I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"And why not?" asked Danni as she returned with Sig's refilled mug.

Sig glanced up at her, uncertainty and a touch of fear in his gaze.

"It's just…I don't know. It's only been two years…"

Blake paused in mid-sip of his coffee and shot Sig a surprised and apologetic look.

"Aw man! Sig I'm sorry, I totally forgot!"

Sig shook his head and held up a hand, telling Blake to just drop it.

"Sig," said Danni with warmth in her gaze and voice as she leaned over the counter, "You deserve to be happy. Give it a shot, okay?"

Sig shook his head doubtfully, but Danni did not back down.

"She'd want you to be happy Sig," she murmured quietly, "You and I both know that."

Sig swallowed the familiar lump that rose in his throat. Would she really want him to find someone else? And even if that were so, would he ever be ready to move on?

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	4. Taking a Chance

**Thanks for all the reviews!! I'm posting another Sig story today too if anyone is interested!**

A few days later, Andria walked out of the base and headed over to her car. It was a beautiful evening in Dutch Harbor. The stars were brilliantly bright against a clear night sky and the temperature was actually a bearable chill.

She decided to go back to the Elbow Room to see if the skipper she had met a few days ago would be there. It was a long shot, she knew. There were a lot of skippers out there and there were other bars they could go to, but from what she could tell that particular skipper seemed to know the owner of the Elbow Room rather well.

For some reason Andria could not get the skipper out of her mind. She did not even know his name, but there was something about him that attracted her. A sudden thought made her pause in mid-step up the walk that led to the Elbow Room's back door: what if he was married? She hesitated, wondering if this was really a good idea.

She took a deep breath and decided that if he was married, then she would just have a good time with some of the other people in the bar and then head back to the base. She had nothing to lose after all.

She squared her shoulders, took another deep breath, and opened the door…

Sig did not know what made him come there that night. He had just had a strong feeling, an urgent sense to be in the Elbow Room…

_He had been up in the wheelhouse studying charts and maps for the upcoming King Crab season when the sudden feeling overtook him. Before he knew what he was doing, he had gotten himself dressed in a nice black dress-like shirt and pulled on a pair of his nicer jeans. As he fought with his hair, he looked at himself in the mirror and shook his head._

"_What the hell am I doing?" he muttered as he played with his hair some more._

_Just then, Edgar strolled into the small bathroom of the Northwestern and raised an eyebrow at his brother._

"_Man, Blake was right," he said with an amused half-grin._

"_What are you talking about?" snapped Sig, irritably. He made a mental note to throttle Blake Painter later._

"_Oh I think you know what I'm talking about," said Edgar with a knowing look, "A certain pretty little blonde Coast Guard rescue swimmer swept you off your feet, did she?"_

_Sig glared at Edgar in the mirror. Edgar changed his amused expression into a more serious and caring one._

"_Look, I'm happy for you...seriously," he said quietly, "You deserve this. It's about time you have some fun again, don't you think?"_

_Sig shrugged, "I don't know. I don't know if it's a good idea, I mean for all I know the girl's already got someone and…what if I'm not ready either? I mean, maybe this is all a big mistake you know?"_

_Edgar nodded in understanding. In the past two years since Sig's wife died, the three Hansen brothers had become very close. Before then Sig and Edgar only talked to one another when it was about fishing. Now they had become more like best friends and Sig found himself leaning more and more on Edgar's support. He did not know what he would have done if it was not for his two brothers. They had kept him going when he had given up._

"_But you never know till you try," insisted Edgar, "If she's already taken or if it doesn't work out, let it go. Nothing changes…you have nothing to lose right?"_

_Sig nodded and tugged at the sleeves of his shirt._

"_Then go for it," urged Edgar, "And have a good time."_

_Edgar patted his older brother on the shoulder before he left the room._

_Sig took one last glance in the mirror and took a deep breath._

"_Here goes nothing…"_

Now he sat at the bar in the Elbow Room waiting for some woman he barely even knew to just randomly show up. The thought infuriated him. What was he doing? What was he expecting?

Loud laughter sounded from the other side of the Elbow Room. The entire Harris clan was there and they were definitely in a party mood. Emily was sitting on Josh's lap and Jake was talking to two young women, a broad smile on his face. Blake Painter stood nearby watching Jake with an amused look on his face. The rest of the Maverick crew was either at the bar drinking or dancing with some of the local women.

Sig sighed and began to stand up, ready to leave.

Just then, the back door opened and the blonde woman walked in. Sig felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of her. She was wearing a close-fitting black dress and her blonde hair was down and wavy. He swallowed nervously and watched her for a moment. She turned and made eye contact with him. Sig thought he was imagining it, but there was no mistaking the look in her eyes.

She had been looking for him too…

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	5. Memory

Andria smiled when she saw Sig at the bar. She watched in amusement as he made eye-contact with her and froze, a shocked look crossing his handsome Norwegian features.

She bit her lower lip nervously and glanced around the room. Several other captains and deckhands were talking, drinking, and dancing with women. She smirked when she saw what she presumed were two brothers checking out some girls standing across the room. An older man with a gold necklace and dangling gold crab charm nudged the older one roughly. She heard him mutter "ding and dong," as he shook his head in exasperation.

The younger one had caught sight of her and winked at her. Andria raised an eyebrow in surprise and glanced behind her, expecting someone else to be there. She was in her late thirties, making her way too old for this young kid that was eyeing her.

Sig had seen the exchange and decided it was time to move in before the Harris boy got there first. Taking a deep breath and mustering all the courage he had, he moved away from the bar and began to walk over to her.

Jake Harris saw Sig give him a cold-hard stare. He took the hint and looked away immediately. You never mess with Norwegian's and their women.

Andria felt someone touch her arm lightly. She jumped in surprise and smiled when she saw who it was.

"Hey!" she yelled over the music, "The handsome captain returns!"

Sig felt his heart skip a beat. Her sparkling eyes and beautiful smile were captivating.

"I never got your name!" he shouted, guiding her toward the dance floor.

Andria's eyes brightened when she realized where he was taking her.

"Andria Davis!"

"Andria? You have a pretty name. I'm Sig Hansen, captain of the Northwestern!"

Andria's eyes widened in shock. The Northwestern was legendary in the fishing community. She had heard a lot about them back at her old base. They were said to be one of the most successful boats in the fleet and that was due to their brilliant captain…and here she was, about to dance with the very same man.

Sig noticed the look of surprise on her face. He felt a sudden glow of pride at the recognition in her eyes.

"You want to dance?" he asked, surprising himself with his boldness. He wondered briefly again if she was already taken. He stole a glance down at her left hand. No ring.

Andria saw the glance and smiled knowingly.

"No, I'm not married!" she shouted as an even louder dance song began to pound from the Elbow Room speakers, "I'm single, and yes I'd love to dance!"

Sig smiled broadly as he took her hand and led her to the very center of the dance floor.

Phil Harris nudged Andy Hillstrand and nodded in Sig's direction. Andy smiled and nodded his approval. Across the room, Blake Painter and Danni Mahone were talking at the bar. They too saw Sig and Andria and exchanged excited and happy looks.

Sig was pleasantly surprised to see how easily Andria moved in to the music. He had not expected a straight-forward Coast Guardsman to know how to dance quite like this.

After several minutes of dancing, Sig leaned in closer to her and froze suddenly. The smell of her perfume was jogging a memory…a memory that did not need to resurface right then.

Andria stopped dancing and gave Sig a concerned look.

"Are you okay?" she asked, hesitantly.

Images of his wife past through Sig's eyes. That was it…the perfume…it was the same one she used to wear. He felt a sudden stabbing pain in his heart and it became hard to breathe.

"Sig?" asked Andria, urgently, "Are you alright?"

Sig shook his head, eyes wide and unfocused.

"I…I need to go…I'm sorry," he stammered as he pushed past the crowd of people and headed for the door, leaving Andria behind…

PLEASE REVIEW!!

I wasn't sure if I would have time to write tomorrow so I figured I'd do it tonight to make up for it…that and I'm bored. LOL… : )


	6. Little Brother

**Alright, after much pleading from you guys, I decided to update today…even though I'm DEAD tired from fishing…lol…but you all are worth it! I hope you like it!! **

Sig made his way quickly back to the Northwestern. He practically ran up the stairs to the wheelhouse and slammed the door shut behind him.

Edgar jumped, startled at the noise. He had just fallen asleep in his bunk when Sig returned. With a groan he slowly stood up, stretched, and made his way up to the wheelhouse. He stifled a yawn as he opened the door.

"Sig? That you?"

Sig was sitting in the captain's chair, his breath coming out in unsteady gasps and his hands shaking as he ran them through his hair.

Edgar instantly became alarmed. His older brother only looked and acted like this when he thought too much about his wife.

"You okay?" he asked hesitantly as he closed the door behind him.

Sig shook his head, not looking up at his brother.

"No…no I'm not…"

Edgar frowned. It had been a long time since he re-acted this badly.

"What happened?"

Sig took a deep, steadying breath before he replied.

"She was wearing the same perfume…"

Edgar hung his head at Sig's reply. He had wanted so badly for this night to go well for him. He deserved to be happy again…he _needed_ to be happy again.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured after a moment.

Sig shook his head in protest and glanced briefly at his youngest brother.

"No, it's not your fault," he said despairingly, "It's me…I can't get over her. I don't know if I ever will."

"Well…"

Edgar stopped suddenly when he saw someone walking down the dock toward the boat. It was a blonde woman wearing a nice fitting black dress.

"Oh my…"

"What?" asked Sig, glancing over at him.

"That girl…is she a blonde?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Um, well…she's kind of coming towards the boat."

Sig's eyes grew wide with panic.

"What? What…what do I do? Edgar, I can't talk…I can't talk to her like this…not now…"

Edgar held up a hand, telling Sig to stop talking and to relax.

"Don't worry about it. I'll go talk to her. I'll explain everything, don't worry."

Sig shot Edgar a nervous and uncertain look.

"Just trust me on this one, okay?" asked Edgar as he began to open the door to leave.

Sig nodded reluctantly and watched as Edgar walked out of the wheelhouse.

Edgar went out on the deck and watched as the woman walked over to the boat. She saw him and gave a slight wave.

"Hi!" she called as she quickened her pace, "I'm looking for Sig Hansen…is he here?"

Edgar was struck by the woman's beauty. Now he understood why Sig was so taken with her.

"Um, yeah," he replied as she walked over to stand beside the boat.

"Can I talk with him?" she asked, a sound of urgency in her voice.

Edgar noted the concerned and somewhat fearful look in her eyes. She at least seemed to care about him, at least enough to come all the way out to the boat in the middle of the night in freezing temperatures wearing only a small black dress.

"Maybe you should come into the galley," replied Edgar, "I'm his younger brother, Edgar Hansen. I'll explain everything to you."

The woman furrowed her brow in confusion, but did not object when Edgar reached out a hand to help her onboard.

Andria suddenly wished she had not worn high-heels. High-heels and boats just did not mix. She followed Edgar down into the galley, wondering what in the world he was going to tell her.

"Okay, so where is he?" she asked as Edgar motioned for her to take a seat behind the table.

"He's um, in the wheelhouse," said Edgar, suddenly wondering where in the world to begin, "He's not really in the mood to talk."

"He left the party looking very upset," said Andria, her blue eyes reflecting confusion and hurt, "Did I do something wrong?"

Edgar smiled slightly, "No, it wasn't your fault. He…he lost his wife two years ago. Drunk driver hit her car and killed her."

Andria raised a hand to her mouth in shock.

"Oh my gosh…I'm so sorry, I had no idea…"

"No, no it's not your fault," assured Edgar, "He's still not over it yet."

"I can't blame him…that poor man…"

"You're the first woman he's given a second glance at since his wife died," continued Edgar, "You must be something special."

Andria smirked slightly, "I don't know about that…but I do know that I am rather taken by your brother. He's quite charming."

Edgar could not help but laugh at that.

"_My _brother? Are you sure we're talking about the same person?"

Andria laughed slightly, "I suppose it's different for you, huh?"

"Ever so slightly. But, yeah…he does really like you. Apparently you were wearing the same perfume his wife used to wear. I think it triggered a memory he wasn't prepared for."

Andria put her head in her hands.

"Oh I feel terrible! I'm so sorry!"

Edgar rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"For the last time, it's not your fault. Seriously, it isn't. He'll be okay; he just needs some time to himself. He should be okay tomorrow, just give him a little bit."

Andria nodded and sighed.

"So…I hear you're a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, am I right?"

Andria nodded, "Yeah it's quite an exciting career. It's about as crazy as your job."

Edgar smirked, "I don't know…I mean, you guys actually jump into the Bering Sea voluntarily. We kind of try to avoid that."

Andria laughed. Edgar seemed to be the more easy-going of the two brothers and just as charming.

Just then, a beeping sound filled the galley. Edgar looked around in confusion, not recognizing the sound.

Andria's eyes flew open wide and she dug quickly through her purse. She pulled out a small black pager and read the message quickly.

"I'm sorry…I gotta go," she said as she stood up, "We gotta call out."

Edgar stood up and led her to the door.

"No problem," he said as he helped her climb back out of the boat, "I never caught your name by the way."

"Andria," she said as she slipped off her high-heels and carried them in her hand as she began to run down the dock.

"Pretty name," said Edgar as he smirked at the sight of her running down the dock, carrying her high-heels, "And good luck!"

"Thanks!" shouted Andria as she ran quickly down the dock.

The message on her pager said that there was a fire on a crab boat out in the fishing grounds. The Coast 

Guard Cutter had already been called out to help put the fire out, now they needed Andria and her crew to help lift the stranded crab fishermen to safety in their helicopter.

She smiled to herself as she climbed into her car. She loved the feeling of the adrenaline that pumped through her veins with every callout.

"Man I love my job!" she exclaimed as she put the car in drive and peeled out of the parking lot.

PLEASE REVIEW!!

**I'll probably update tomorrow night…got some stuff to do in the morning…**

**Thanks for all the reviews!! I REALLY appreciate the feedback!!**


	7. The Rescue

"Chopper 3178 stand by for coordinates on the fishing vessel Arctic Storm."

"Roger that base, chopper 3178 standing by," replied the pilot.

Andrew watched as Andria began to put on her gear for the rescue mission. He noticed when she first drove into the base that she was wearing a dress and makeup and had even done her hair. He could not help but wonder what she was doing before the call came in. Part of him knew that it was not any of his business, but then part of him wanted it to be. He still cared about Andria after all these years and he wanted to be part of her life again…as more than just a good friend.

"So," he said after a moment, "Where were you?"

Andria shot him a confused look as she put in her ear buds so she could hear any orders that the pilot gave her while she was in the water or aboard the vessel.

"The dress," continued Andrew, "Where'd you go?"

"A party," replied Andria.

"What party?"

Andria felt a flash of annoyance at Andrew. Why was it any of his concern where she had been? He was beginning to sound just like her father.

"Why does it matter?"

Andrew shrugged, "Just wondering why I wasn't invited."

Andria rolled her eyes in exasperation. As if now was really the time to be discussing something like this!

"Because I went there to meet someone," she snapped.

Andrew blinked in surprise. So she was seeing someone else? He should not be surprised, he knew. After all she was a very attractive woman. Why shouldn't she be seeing someone?

"Who?"

Andria shot him a highly irritated look.

"In case you weren't aware of the situation, there is a fishing vessel out there on fire and we're going out to help them. Discussing personal business has to wait!"

Andrew's eyes flashed angrily but he nodded curtly in agreement. If that was the way she wanted it…

"Okay, Andria," said the pilot, "We are approaching the Arctic Storm. Are you ready?"

"Semper Paratus!" replied Andria, giving the Coast Guard motto meaning "Always Ready."

The pilot laughed slightly, "Nice answer! Fishing vessel is right below us now."

"Permission to open cabin door to get a better look?" asked Andria.

"Permission granted!"

Andria slung open the door and was taken aback by the brilliant light from the fire. The Arctic Storm was a one-hundred and fifty foot fishing vessel, one of the largest of the crab fishing fleet. It was a house-backward 

vessel, meaning that its wheelhouse and quarters were located in the rear of the ship as opposed to the front like the Northwestern. The entire wheelhouse was lit up with flames and was beginning to sink ominously into the frigid waters.

Off to the right, the Coast Guard Cutter was moving in, preparing to put out the blaze. They radioed into the chopper, sounding frustrated and uncertain.

"This boat's a goner!" said a man, "Chopper 3178, request that you rescue survivors. There is nothing we can do here."

"Roger that cutter, we'll take it from here," replied the pilot as he turned to give Andria a glance.

She nodded, indicating that she had heard and was ready to respond. As she looked back down, she saw three men standing on the bow of the boat, waving and calling out to them.

"Swimmer ready," said Andrew as he finished attaching the cable to Andria's suit.

Andria was lowered down to the sinking vessel. The second she hit the deck, she unhooked her line and waved, signaling them to lower the basket. As the basket came down, Andria glanced over the men, trying to determine who would go first. She saw a younger deckhand and grabbed him. He looked no older than eighteen and was utterly terrified.

She pushed him into the basket and urged them to lift it quickly. The boat was not going to hold out much longer. After several long, tedious minutes, the three men had been hoisted to safety. Now all that was left was to get Andria back onboard the chopper.

Just as they began to lower the basket for a final time, the boat groaned loudly and the bow shot up as the stern began to sink.

Andria screamed as she felt herself losing her grip on the bow railing. The ship began to slowly sink into the freezing water. Andria glanced over her shoulder and saw that it was sinking very quickly. She forced her tired limbs to work and climbed over the bow railing to stand on the other side. She leaned against the rail and looked up at the chopper. She saw Andrew's face contorted in fear and the pilot's stunned, unsure look.

The burning boat was about to go under completely. Andria steeled herself for what she knew she had to do. Against all her better judgment, she leapt off the boat and into the Bering Sea…

PLEASE REVIEW!!

Okay, so I'm leaving for college on August 12 so I may have to write every other day, depending on what all I have to do to get ready. Just FYI!! : )


	8. Alone

The shock of the cold water took Andria's breath away, but she knew, just like last time that she had to swim away from the boat before it sucked her under with it.

She shivered as she stroked hard away from the rapidly sinking boat. She looked up, searching for her helicopter. She felt a sudden thrill of fear and panic course through her when she saw that the chopper was flying away from her. She waved her arms and shouted, thinking that they were trying to find her, but just searching the wrong way. Then the chopper began to gain altitude and Andria's heart plummeted. They were leaving her behind…

"We can't leave!" shouted Andrew, fear rising in his chest.

"We have to," said the pilot, "We're dangerously low on fuel and we're packed tight already with three survivors. We'll come back in the morning."

"In the morning?" shouted Andrew, "Are you insane? By morning Andria will be dead!"

"She knows the risks of being a rescue swimmer," replied the pilot firmly, "She knew going in that with three survivors she may not be able to come home with us. She has a survival suit with her and we dropped a raft near the site. She'll be okay."

"But…"

"Andrew I need you to just stay calm and do your job," said the pilot firmly, "I don't want to leave her any more than you do, but we have to do what we have to do. Right now our priority is taking care of these three men."

Andrew shook his head in disbelief. He too knew that there was always a risk of a rescue swimmer going out but not coming back. They had taught them those basic principles in training, but he never really thought that they would have to actually perform them.

"As a rescue swimmer you will go out, but no one says you have to come home." That was what the instructor had told them. The words echoed ominously in his head as the chopper flew back to the base…

Andria's heart pounded painfully in her chest. She too was remembering what the instructors had told her, but it did nothing to ease her fear now. She was glad she had managed to get the three men off the boat, that was her only comfort in this dark hour.

She glanced around her, looking for something to cling onto. She saw several pieces of floating debris, some of which were still burning. Then, behind a large piece of debris she caught sight of something bright orange. It was a life raft.

She smiled with relief, realizing that her crew must have dropped it for her. This specially made life-raft inflated the second it hit the water. It was specifically created for situations just like these, when crewmen had to be left behind for the sake of the survivors.

Andria struggled into the life-raft and sighed as she laid down in it. She looked up and was shocked to see how bright the stars were that night. Despite the circumstances, Andria felt a wave of comfort wash over her at the sight. The world was so much bigger than her and she knew deep down that she had played her part in it. She just hoped that this was not her final mission…

Sig came out of the wheelhouse, feeling slightly better than he had earlier. He walked down into the galley and saw Edgar sipping on a cup of coffee.

"You're still up?" asked Sig in surprise.

"Yeah, Andria left a while ago," replied Edgar, "She got a call out. Some crab boat caught on fire."

"Crab boat?" asked Sig, "The season doesn't start for another week."

Edgar shrugged, "Maybe they were cod fishing."

Sig grunted and nodded in agreement as he sat down at the table across from his brother.

"So, what did you two talk about?"

"You."

Sig raised an eyebrow, "Care to elaborate?"

"I told her about what happened," replied Edgar, glancing down at his cup, "She seemed really concerned for you…I think she really likes you, you know."

Sig glanced away awkwardly, unsure of how to respond.

"Yeah…I like her too. I just, I just can't seem to get over it," he said despairingly, "I want to, but I can't."

Edgar gave his brother a long, scrutinizing look.

"If you wanted to then you would," he retorted, "Sig, you can't just let this one go. You're not going to find another one like her, not in this lifetime."

Sig nodded slowly, realizing that what his brother was saying was true.

"Why don't you go get some sleep?" suggested Edgar, "Maybe you can find her in the Elbow Room in the morning. It seems she likes to go there a lot."

Sig sighed and nodded in agreement as he stood to leave.

"Hey Edgar?" he asked as he walked out.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

Edgar smiled and waved him off.

"Anytime."

The next morning…

Sig walked into the Elbow Room and glanced around. He felt a stab of disappointment when he realized that Andria was not there. Maybe she had given up? Maybe she thought he was a lost cause?

He sighed. He could not blame her if that was true. Maybe he was a lost cause after all…

"Oh, Sig!" exclaimed Danni when she saw him.

Blake was sitting at the bar, staring at the TV, eyes wide with shock and fear.

"What? What is it?" asked Sig when he realized Danni had tears in her eyes.

"It's…it's Andria," said Danni, "She's lost in the Bering Sea…"

"What?" exclaimed Sig, panic taking hold of him, "What do you mean she's lost in the Bering Sea?"

"She went out last night to help out that boat that was on fire," replied Blake, "Apparently something went wrong. They were low on fuel and the boat sank fast. Andria was on it when it sank. The Coast Guard is saying the waves were too rough, they didn't have enough fuel, and they were already full to capacity with the survivors on board so they had to leave her."

"They _what_?" snapped Sig, feeling a rage course through his veins.

"They didn't have a choice," replied Blake, "They left her a life-raft and said they were going to come back at first light. They've been searching for an hour, but they can't find her anywhere."

"They're thinking about calling off the search," said Danni, tears falling down her face, "They think…they think she's dead."

Sig was utterly baffled. He took a step back, overwhelmed by what he was hearing. She couldn't be dead…not again, this couldn't be happening to him again.

"She's not dead," said Sig, with a look of determination in his eyes, "I know she's not dead. What are the coordinates of the boat where it sank?"

Blake read off the coordinates from a piece of paper he had been taking notes on since early that morning.

"Why do you need them?" he asked, confusion in his eyes.

"Because I'm going after her."

PLEASE REVIEW!!


	9. Unexpected Heroes

**After much pleading and some extra, unexpected free-time, I decided to update!! : ) Enjoy!!**

"Get it together boys we're going out!" yelled Sig as he jumped onto the deck.

The startled deckhands shot their captain confused and panicked looks.

"But I didn't call my wife yet!" exclaimed Nick.

"You said we weren't leaving for another week!" cried Matt.

"Shut up!" snapped Sig, "Andria's in trouble and the Coast Guard's called off the search so we're going after her!"

"What? What happened?" asked Edgar, eyes wide with shock.

"The rescue went bad, they had to leave her."

"They left her in the Bering Sea?" exclaimed Edgar.

"Whoa, hold on!" said Matt, "Who's Andria?"

Sig shook his head, "We don't have time for this, we gotta go!"

While Sig ran up to the wheelhouse, the crew surrounded Edgar as he began to explain who Andria was. When he was done the entire crew's eyes were hardened with determination.

"Well in that case, we gotta find her!" said Jake, "Sig needs that woman!"

"Let's do this!" shouted Matt.

Together, the crew of the Northwestern prepared their boat and pulled quickly away from the dock.

As the sun slowly rose over the horizon, Andria's eyes fluttered open. She sat up slowly, her cold limbs sore and slow to respond. She looked up at the sky, searching for the helicopter. They should have started searching at least two hours ago, and yet there was not even the slightest sign of the chopper anywhere.

She sighed and laid back in the raft. She was growing weak from the cold and lack of sleep. The waves were high during the night and tossed her raft in every direction, splashing cold water into it. She had been forced to hang on for dear life through much of the night and her arms were sore and practically useless to her now.

"See anything yet?" asked Sig over the loudhailer.

The crew was spread out on the boat, each with a set of binoculars scanning the sea. Edgar, Jake, and Matt were on the bow and Nick and Norman were on either side of the boat.

"Not yet!" replied Edgar, not taking his eyes off the ocean.

Edgar sighed and hit the boat in frustration. Sig had finally found a woman perfect for him and now she may be gone. The thought terrified and infuriated him all at the same time. Sig should not have to go through something like this twice in a lifetime.

"Hey!" shouted Jake, "What's that?"

"What?" asked Edgar and Matt at the same time.

"Off to the starboard side…it looks like an orange raft or something."

Sig had heard Jake's shout and looked in the direction he was pointing. He grabbed the binoculars to get a closer look. Sure enough, it was a Coast Guard life raft.

His heart pounded wildly with fear and excitement. This was their only hope. If she was not in this raft, then there was no way that she was still alive.

Andria felt like she was dying. Every time she closed her eyes, her vision grayed more and more when she opened them back up. She was so tired and so cold. She wondered if she just fell asleep if it would end faster. Then she thought about Sig. She forced her eyes open and took a few deep breaths. She had to keep going…she had to!

Just then, something bumped her raft hard. She gripped the side, wincing at the sharp pain in her arms. She looked up and gaped in shock.

It was the Northwestern.

PLEASE REVIEW!!

Sorry for the cliffhanger!! I know…it's killing me too! I gotta go get some work done now, but I'll write some more tomorrow!!


	10. Just Like This

Andria could hardly believe her eyes. Her mouth flew open in shock at the sight of the white boat. It was impossible…how could he have found her when the Coast Guard couldn't?

"Andria!" shouted a familiar voice above her.

She tried to sit up, feeling her muscles scream in protest, and glanced up.

"Andria, hang on!" shouted Edgar, "We're gonna get you out of there!"

She smiled and relaxed her sore muscles. It was Sig's younger brother…everything was going to be okay now.

Sig's hands were shaking like leaves up in the wheelhouse. He had just heard his brother call out to Andria. He felt weak with relief when he saw her head rise up out of the orange life-raft. She was alive!

"Norman get up here!" he shouted, voice trembling.

Norman jumped slightly, but obeyed his orders. A few seconds after Norman took control of the wheel, Sig was out on deck, running over to the starboard side where Andria was laying in her life-raft.

"Andria?" he called out tentatively.

Andria's heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice. She breathed in sharply in surprise and glanced up. Sure enough, there he was, standing on the boat and leaning over towards her. His face was a mask of panic and relief all in one. She smiled up at him.

"Hey, Sig," she said, faintly.

Sig swallowed nervously. She sounded weak, but the sound of his name from her lips gave him the strength he needed to pull her on board. He reached down and grabbed her outstretched hand. Edgar quickly moved to grab the other hand and together they pulled Andria onto the Northwestern.

"Norman! Call the Coast Guard," said Matt into the intercom, "Tell them we got her!"

Jake was practically dancing on the deck he was so happy. Matt clapped him on the back.

"Good job, kid," he said, "You're the one that saw her first."

Jake shrugged it off but the look of joy in his eyes did not falter.

"We need to get her inside," said Edgar, "She needs to get dry as soon as possible."

Andria was so weak she could barely stand on her own. The numbing cold of the water had drained the strength from her body. She tried to stand up, but nearly fell back down. Sig caught her around the waist and held her up. For a brief moment their eyes locked and they felt their hearts beat faster.

Finally, Sig cleared his throat.

"Yeah…let's get you inside," he said as he bent down to pick her up.

Edgar moved to help, but stepped back with an amused look on his face. Sig picked her up and carried her like one would carry a baby and started to make his way to the galley door.

Jake grinned wildly and gave a little excited jump. Matt smirked and shot Edgar a knowing look.

Sig carried Andria into his stateroom and laid her down on the bed.

"We don't actually have any women's clothing on board but you can borrow some of my clothes if you like," he offered, "We just need to get you warm and dry."

Andria nodded, mind still numb and slow to respond. She was having trouble absorbing all that had happened in the last five minutes…it was unbelievable. She was still convinced that she was dreaming and if she woke up all of this would fade away.

Sig noticed the clouded look in her eyes. He smiled slightly and leaned over to her. He gave her a hug and sighed.

"It's okay…you're okay now," he murmured in her ear as he pulled away.

He gave her a slight peck on the cheek as he turned to leave.

"You go ahead and change your clothes and get some sleep," he said as he opened the door, "I'll come back and check on you in a few minutes, okay?"

Andria nodded and gave him a smile as he closed the door. She sighed and opened a drawer of clothes. She glanced through them and settled on a black button-down shirt and some black boxers. She smiled in amusement as she put them on, wondering what his reaction would be when he saw her wearing them. Then, with a final sigh, she lay down on the bed and closed her eyes…

"Holy crap!" exclaimed Jake as the Northwestern crew gathered together in the galley, "Did that really just happen?"

Matt shook his head in bewilderment.

"I think so," he said doubtfully as he shook his head, "I can't believe it either!"

"I can't believe I saw her!" said Jake, "I just saw a tiny orange dot and thought it might be a raft…man if I didn't say something…"

"Well the point is, you did," said Edgar as he strolled into the galley, "And now she's safe inside, warm, dry, and resting. Those are some good eyes you have there, Jakers."

"Yes they are."

The crew turned around in surprise when they heard Sig's voice. He was walking out of his room and into the galley with a smile on his face.

"She's going to change and then get some sleep," he said as he sat down at the table with a sigh, "She's okay…thank God, she' s okay."

Edgar gave Sig a pat on the shoulder. Sig shook his head in disbelief. He could not believe that they found her.

"That was a miracle," he said after a moment, "Nothing short of a miracle."

"And all things happen for a reason, you know," replied Edgar with a gleam in his eyes.

Sig smirked at his younger brother. He stifled a yawn and stood back up.

"I'm dead tired," he said as he stretched, "Will you take the wheel for me while I get some sleep?"

Edgar nodded, "Yeah, sure. No problem."

"Thanks," said Sig as he walked out of the galley.

He walked into his room and instantly broke out into a smile. Andria had fallen asleep on his bed, but what made him smile even more was what he saw her wearing. He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair as he approached her.

It looked like she had just collapsed on the bed, not bothering to get under the covers. Sig gently lifted her up and pulled the covers back. He tucked her in and then slid in beside of her.

And for that brief moment before he fell asleep, Sig Hansen suddenly realized how much he wanted her to stay by his side…just like this…

PLEASE REVIEW!!

Okay so starting tomorrow I have to do some stuff online for college so I'll be busy. I'll try to update if I can tonight and MAYBE tomorrow, but it depends on how long this online stuff takes me. Just FYI…


	11. Interruption

Andria's eyes fluttered open a few hours later. She glanced around the unfamiliar room, trying to remember what had happened.

Suddenly it all came back to her. The fire, being left behind, spending the night in the Bering Sea, and being rescued by the Northwestern…the Northwestern! That was it! She was in the boat…

Andria gasped suddenly when she rolled over and bumped into a warm body. Her eyes were wide with panic as she leaned over to see who it was. She pulled the sheet back slightly and sighed with relief. She smiled fondly down at Sig and shook her head. Her hero…

Suddenly Sig moved slightly and slowly opened his eyes. He groaned as he stretched one arm over his head. Andria smirked and slid closer to him. The second her body was against his, Sig's eyes widened in surprise. He jumped slightly and twisted around to see who it was. He broke out into a grin when his eyes met Andria's. He turned over to face her and laid an arm across her waist, pulling her closer to him.

Andria giggled and squirmed under his touch. She looked into his eyes and sighed.

"I'd say thank you but I don't think it would be nearly enough…not after what you've done for me."

Sig's eyes glowed as he gazed at her.

"Andria, trust me…you being here is thanks enough for me. You wanna know something?"

Andria nodded, biting her lower lip as she listened. Sig swallowed nervously at the sight. This woman drove him crazy!

"Um…when I heard you were lost in the Bering Sea, I panicked," said Sig, glancing away, "I guess in that moment I finally realized what losing you would mean. I would have never been able to tell you how I feel about you…and I would have had to go through the same thing I went through with my wife two years ago. I couldn't do that again."

Andria's eyes softened with compassion when she heard the slight hitch in Sig's voice. She suddenly realized how much she wanted to help this man.

"And how do you feel about me, Sig?" she pressed, desperate to know if he really did like her.

Sig met her gaze, his eyes bright with fear, uncertainty, and something else…

"I…I love you, Andria," he whispered, "I really do…I never met to leave you at the Elbow Room like that. I just…"

"It's okay," said Andria, putting a finger on his lips, "Edgar told me…I understand. And I love you too Sig…and I mean that."

Sig looked startled at her reply.

"Really? I mean…we barely know each other…"

"Sig Hansen!" exclaimed Andria, "Haven't you heard of love at first sight?"

Sig's eyes grew wide in astonishment.

"The day I first met you at the bar, I knew I loved you," replied Andria, lowering her voice, "I can't explain it…I just _knew_. It was like something was leading me right to you. There's a reason we both went to the Elbow Room last night…we're both looking for the same thing and I'm pretty sure we've both found it."

Sig gazed at her with shock and bewilderment. After a few moments, he leaned slowly over to her and kissed her.

Andria knew her heart skipped at least one beat. It was electric!

Just then, Edgar opened the door and walked in. He laughed when he saw them kissing.

"Well, well…I do hope that I'm not interrupting!"

PLEASE REVIEW!!

It's short, I know but I wrote this during the hour before Deadliest Catch, so I had to make it short…can't risk missing a single minute of the show, right? : )


	12. Gentleman

Sig threw his pillow at Edgar and pretended to be angry at him.

Edgar dodged the pillow and ran out of the room, yelling loudly so the rest of the crew could hear.

"Guys! Sig and Andria are making out!"

Sig cursed Edgar under his breath while Andria laughed.

"Sometimes I want to kill that kid," he muttered.

"Aw, Edgar's not so bad," said Andria, "He's a good guy."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," mumbled Sig, "Makes it harder to get angry with him."

Sig stretched and stood up. He ran his hands through his tangled hair and gave Andria a loving look.

"Okay, I have to go back up to the wheelhouse," he said as he leaned over to kiss her again, "Someone's gotta bring this boat home."

Andria nodded and watched Sig leave the room. A feeling of warmth and happiness spread through her. It felt good to be in love again, but it felt even better to be loved again.

She leaned her head against the backboard of Sig's bed and sighed. Several minutes went by and she began to grow restless. She decided to head to the galley to get a bite to eat and maybe watch a little TV.

As she walked into the galley, she was greeted by the cheers and whistles of the rest of the crew. Edgar was sitting at the table grinning like a Cheshire cat along with Jake Anderson. She rolled her eyes at them and walked over to the fridge.

"What're you doing, woman?" asked Matt.

Andria jumped slightly at his tone and whirled around. Matt was turning something over in the frying pan on the stove.

"Getting something to eat," she replied slowly and calmly, "Why?"

"Because I'm standing here, slaving away on this breakfast and you're looking in the fridge!" exclaimed Matt, sounding more like a housewife than a fisherman, "Sit down and I'll bring you a plate when it's finished!"

Andria smirked in amusement and walked over to the table. She sat down next to Edgar who was still grinning like a schoolboy. She shot him an feigned irritated glance but his smile only widened.

"So, you two have fun last night?" he asked, eyes dancing with amusement.

"We slept…and not like that so stop giving me that stupid grin!"

Edgar and Jake laughed.

"Sure you didn't," said Jake.

Andria shot him a look as Matt walked over with plates of food. Norman walked into the galley and instantly broke out into a grin when he saw Andria. He shot Edgar a knowing look as he sat down at the table. Nick Mavar walked out of his room, hair messy and disheveled. The rest of the crew promptly let him know that he slept longer than any of them.

"Why you lookin' so tired Mavar?" chided Edgar, "You slept an hour later than the rest of us!"

Nick muttered something under his breath as he sat down at the table. Jake leaned over and whispered something into his ear. Nick's eyes shot over to Andria with a mischievous gleam in them.

Andria sighed in exasperation as she ate her breakfast.

After she finished, she took her plate over to the sink.

"Hey Matt?" she asked as Matt walked over to the coffee maker, "Did Sig get anything?"

Matt's eyes twinkled slightly, "Not yet. I usually take him up a plate, but I'm assuming you'd like to do that yourself, am I right?"

Andria narrowed her eyes playfully at Matt and grabbed another plate of food. Matt smirked as she walked out of the galley and made her way up to the wheelhouse.

Sig glanced up when he heard the door open. His eyes lit up when he saw that it was Andria. He smiled when he saw the plate of food in her hands.

"Aw, you're too kind," he said as she leaned over to put the plate in front of him.

When she leaned in, her lips were mere centimeters from his own. He took the opportunity and kissed her.

Andria squealed slightly in surprise but relaxed and kissed him back. She laughed when he finally let her go.

"Why Captain Hansen!" she exclaimed, "And all this time I thought you were a gentleman!"

Sig got a dark gleam in his eyes as he grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap.

"Think again…"

PLEASE REVIEW!!

Thanks for all the reviews guys!! : )

I think next chapter may be the last one…sort of an epilogue I'm thinking, but I could be wrong. We shall see!


	13. Change of Fate

**Felt like doing a bit more writing today so I chose to write another chapter for this story…I'll update All in the Family tomorrow!!**

"Hurry it up would you Jake?" snapped Matt.

Jake was taking his sweet time tying up the bow of the Northwestern to the dock and Matt was getting irritated. When Jake heard him shout, he smirked in amusement and began to move in overly-done slow motion.

Matt sneered and muttered crossly under his breath while Edgar stifled a laugh by lighting his cigarette.

Sig and Andria walked out of the wheelhouse and climbed down to the deck. They were laughing and flirting with each other as they walked over to the crew.

Edgar and Norman exchanged amused looks as they finished tying the boat up to the dock.

"Andria!"

Andria froze, a look of surprise and distress clouding her face.

"Oh no…"

"Andria!"

Everyone turned around to see a well-built man running down the docks toward them, waving and shouting the entire time.

"Andria, thank God you're okay!" exclaimed the man as he leapt onto the boat.

"Hey!" shouted Matt in protest, giving the man a look of contempt, "Why don't you ask before you board someone's boat?"

"Shove off, I'm with the Coast Guard," snapped the man.

"Andrew!" hissed Andria, giving him a hard glare.

"Oooooh," said Matt, pretending to be impressed, "Then allow me to bow at your feet."

He did a dramatic bow and pretended to worship Andrew.

Andria had to suppress a laugh at the sight. Andrew looked so angry and offended while the crew of the Northwestern appeared to be highly amused by the whole thing. She was suddenly struck by how different the world of a crabber was than the world of a high-class Coastguardsman.

Andrew sneered at Matt and tensed, as if to fly at him. Matt stood up, the smile on his face turning into a threatening glare.

"Bring in on, buddy," he muttered.

"Andrew, knock it off!" said Andria as she walked over to him.

"Andria!" exclaimed Andrew, suddenly looking very happy, "Honey, how are you?"

Sig took a step back in surprise. This man had just called Andria_ honey_?

Andria also took a couple steps back as Andrew tried to lean in to give her a hug.

"I'm…I'm fine," she stammered, "And what's with you calling me honey?"

The peeved tone in her voice eased Sig's fears a bit. Apparently this man was out of line. A sudden anger rose up in him and he felt like ripping him apart…

"Oh, Andria," said Andrew in an almost patronizing tone, "I was just so worried, hon! Come on, let's get you off this floating fish barge and back to our base."

"Excuse me?" snarled Andria.

Sig looked taken back by the anger in her voice. He actually flinched slightly when he saw the rage flashing in her eyes.

"This_ floating fish barge_ is the reason I'm alive!"

"Yeah, but Andria…they're crabbers!" laughed Andrew, "Come on…"

"No! You _come on_!" snapped Andria, "These men…heroes, saved my life!"

"That's nice of them, but we're the Coast Guard," said Andrew, getting a little peeved, "We're the ones who save lives…these guys just go out and catch fish and crab."

The entire crew looked like they were ready to kill Andrew. They shared furious glances with one another and muttered angrily.

Andria shook her head in disbelief, "Okay, I knew you were arrogant, but you just took it to a whole new level! These men are better, kinder, tougher, and stronger than you'll ever be! So do us all a favor and get off the Northwestern! Because as fare as I'm concerned, you're not good enough to stand on her!"

Sig's eyes flew open in pleasant surprise. He couldn't suppress the grin of satisfaction that crept over his face when he saw how shocked Andrew looked.

"Yeah! That's right!" echoed the crew as they clapped in agreement with Andria.

Andrew shot Andria a glare before he turned to climb off the boat.

"Hope you don't mind losing your job," he snarled, "I'll see to it that you're fired immediately!"

"I wouldn't expect any less from you," returned Andria.

As Andrew stomped off angrily, the crew cheered and shouted happily.

Sig wrapped an arm around Andria and gave her a hug.

"Don't worry, honey," he said, using the same term of endearment that Andrew attempted to use.

Andria smiled and gave him an amused look.

"As long as I have you, I'll be okay," she replied.

"Well as far as I'm concerned," continued Sig, raising his voice so everyone could hear, "You'll always have a spot on this boat."

"That's right," agreed Edgar, "You've already proven you're tough enough for it."

Andria glanced between them, bewilderment in her eyes.

"Do you mean….you want me to work on _your_ boat?"

Sig laughed, "Of course I do! What better way would there be for us to get to know one another?"

"So what do you say?" asked Edgar, "Are you on board?"

Andria hesitated for a second before she replied.

"Hell yeah!"

PLEASE REVIEW!!

Guess I lied….there's gonna be at least one more chapter!! : )


	14. Epilogue

Epilogue…

3 months later….

"Hey Andria!" shouted Edgar, "You ready for your first trip?"

Andria smiled as she tossed him her bag and climbed onto the boat. The boys had just returned from King Crab season and were preparing to turn right back around for the early Opillio season opening.

"I was _born_ ready Edgar!" she replied with a smile.

Edgar laughed, "That's what I like to hear!"

Just then Sig emerged from the wheelhouse. Andria's face lit up as she watched Sig make his way quickly down to the deck. He walked over to her and gave her a hug and kiss.

"Hey," he said as he pulled away.

Andria giggled, "Hey yourself!"

They gazed fondly at each other while Matt, in the background, pretended to gag.

Suddenly Matt gave a startled cry. Sig and Andria turned to see what it was and laughed when they saw Matt tossing the large herring Edgar had thrown at him overboard. Edgar smirked in amusement at the irritated look in his friend's eyes.

"So we ready to go now?" asked Nick as he walked by.

"Well, not really," replied Sig.

The crew gave him confused looks and waited for him to elaborate.

"There's one little thing we need to take care of first," he continued as he reached into his pocket.

Edgar broke out into a grin and couldn't help but laugh excitedly. The rest of the crew cheered and whistled as Sig went down on one knee.

Andria covered her face in shock. She could barely believe what was happening.

"Andria," said Sig, gazing up at her, "Will you marry me?"

Two days later…

"This is worse than hauling pots for two days!" exclaimed Matt as he and the rest of the crew finished decorating the Northwestern.

In the past two days since Sig had proposed to Andria, the crew had been put to work…prepping the boat for the wedding.

Andria insisted that they get married before they left and that they get married on the boat. Sig was more than happy to oblige.

Later that evening people began to arrive for the ceremony. The deck of the Northwestern was spotless. Chairs were lined up in rows and flowers covered the fishing vessel. The crew was dressed up in tuxes they had rented from a nearby store in Dutch Harbor. They all sat in front and began to pick on Sig while they waited for the ceremony to begin.

Jake reached over and pressed play on the boom box that sat on a small table near the front. As the music began to play, everyone turned around and waited for Andria to appear.

Sig felt his heart jump up in his throat when he saw her. Edgar was escorting her to the boat and helped her over the rail.

She was stunning. Her dress was long and flowing and made of silk. The thin veil could not hide the sparkle in her brilliant eyes as she walked towards the front.

As they recited their vows, Sig and Andria thought that it couldn't get any better than this…

Little did they know…

It was just the beginning….

THE END!!

PLEASE REVIEW!!

And yes, there will be a sequel thanks to yet another wonderful idea from Lauren Grant!!


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